Jim Nicholson won't take responsibility still?

This is a shocker. "Former VA secretary: Obama's 'not taking responsibility' for agency's misconduct." Nicholson was in the hot seat a lot. Why is he lying on top of it now?

In an interview on Friday with CNN's Wolf Blitzer, Nicholson also hit back at Obama's sharp criticism of his tenure leading the VA, calling into question the former senator's commitment to the cause when he severed on the Veterans Affairs Committee. "He was on the committee but he never showed up," Nicholson said, appearing on "The Situation Room." Allegations of crippling delays in care and mismanagement have sparked calls for current Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki to resign. When Nicholson took over as chief of the VA in 2005 during President George W. Bush's administration, he, too, received criticism of his leadership of the agency, notably from then Illinois Sen. Obama.

To explain the processing slowdown from 2005 to 2006, the VA in its recent report to Congress gave three reasons: a concentration on older claims, the training of new staff, and the fact that it had "received a greater-than- expected number of claims in 2006." In fact, the opposite was true. As early as February 2005, the VA anticipated receiving 818,076 claims in fiscal 2006, and Nicholson in February 2006 upped that to 910,000 claims - both above the actual tally of 806,382. (The VA this week told McClatchy Newspapers the report to Congress was in error and shouldn't have used the word "expected.")

Nicholson must have forgotten this from 2006

U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) – a key member of the Senate Veterans Affairs (VA) Committee – today sent a letter to Senate VA Committee Chairman Larry Craig (R-ID) and Ranking Member Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI), requesting a hearing of the Committee on the status of mental health services provided by the VA."We need real answers from the VA and the Bush Administration. No gimmicks. No games," Murray said. "I am requesting a hearing on the mental health services provided by the VA so we can learn more about the need for mental health care, how to meet that demand, and what changes need to be made to provide our veterans with the care they need and deserve."Murray's call for a hearing follows an article in the May edition of Psychiatric News in which Frances Murphy, M.D., Undersecretary for Health Policy Coordination at the VA, indicates that the agency is ill-prepared to serve the mental health needs of our nation's veterans. In the article, Dr. Murphy notes that some VA clinics don't provide mental health or substance abuse care, or if they do, "waiting lists render that care virtually inaccessible."

The number of vets seeking counseling or treatment for mental health issues more than doubled from 4,467 in October of 2005 to 9,103 in June. And the number needing other forms of help transitioning from military to civilian life more than tripled, jumping from 43,682 to 144,227. Yet, the number of staff positions added to deal with such problems since 2002 is only eight.

The number of initial disability claims rose from 578,773 in 2000 to 788,298 in 2005, a 36 percent increase. The Department of Veterans Affairs takes an average of 129 days to make an initial decision. It hopes to reduce that to 115 days, said Michael Dusenbery, the Veterans Benefits Administration's southern area director. The backlog begins at the regional office, argue many veterans groups. "If they got the decision right in the first place, there would be fewer appeals to the board and less of a backlog," said Roy Spicer, DAV national appeals officer. Last year, 47,136 claims were appealed to the Board of Veterans' Appeals. More than half of regional offices' decisions that are appealed to the board are reversed or sent back to local offices for further action.

This was after Nicholson advised President Bush that claims would go down. Or the cases brought by one attorney where 40 died before their claims were approved.

"We should take care of our veterans, but I don't think they're taking care of me," Bolin said. He filed his original claim seven years ago. It reached the appeals court in March 2005. Bolin has been hospitalized twice this year and fears he may die before his case is settled. That fear is too often realized by veterans. His attorney, Dan Krasnegor, who works for a Richmond law firm that specializes in veterans' appeals, has had about 40 clients die before their cases were decided by the court.

Nicholson must have forgotten about the lawsuit filed by Veterans for Common Sense and Veterans United for Truth in 2007.

“We won this round against VA. Veterans will have our day in court. The VA must now release documents under discovery about their deliberate attempts to deny and delay medical care and disability benefits for all veterans, especially our Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans,” said Paul Sullivan, the executive director of Veterans for Common Sense (VCS), the lead plaintiff organization that filed suit against VA. On July 23, 2007, VCS and Veterans United for Truth (VUFT) filed a class action lawsuit against VA in order to force VA to provide prompt and high-quality medical care and disability benefits to veterans, especially those with mental health conditions such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). “Our Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans are committing suicide while waiting for VA to answer their pleas for medical care. VA must make sure all our veterans receive prompt and high-quality medical care and disability benefits. The long waits at VA must end,” added Sullivan.

The same lawsuit that discovered veterans committing suicide information had been hidden.

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said Dr. Ira Katz, the VA's mental health director, deliberately withheld crucial information on the true suicide risk among veterans. "Doctor Katz's irresponsible actions have been a disservice to our veterans, and it is time for him to go," said Murray, a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. "The number one priority of the VA should be caring for our veterans, not covering up the truth." Murray and other Democratic senators said they were appalled at e-mails showing Katz and other VA officials apparently trying to conceal the number of suicides by veterans. An e-mail message from Katz disclosed this week as part of a lawsuit that went to trial in San Francisco this week starts with "Shh!" and refers to the 12,000 veterans per year who attempt suicide while under department treatment. "Is this something we should (carefully) address ourselves in some sort of release before someone stumbles on it?" the e-mail asks.

And Nicholson must have forgotten this as well

“Recent incidents indicate a possible trend of system-wide or systemic indifference to the invisible wounds of war. It is shameful, because veterans deserve better, and because it tarnishes the good work of the many VA mental health professionals who help veterans battle PTSD, depression, and other psychological wounds,” said Akaka. “Whatever the reasoning behind the mistakes that were made, VA must work to regain the confidence of veterans who now question whether VA is a friend or enemy.” In their testimony, witnesses denied any systemic or deliberate efforts within VA to deny veterans care or compensation for psychological wounds. While Dr. Norma Perez, the psychologist from Texas, argued that there is little difference between adjustment disorder and PTSD, VA’s chief mental health official Dr. Ira Katz respectfully disagreed.

But it seems as if everyone has forgotten how long they had to do the right thing on PTSD as well.

Congress required the establishment of VA's Special Committee on PTSD in 1984, with the original purpose primarily to aid Vietnam-era veterans diagnosed with PTSD. One of the Special Committee's main charges is to carry out an ongoing assessment of VA's capacity to diagnose and treat PTSD and to make recommendations for improving VA's PTSD services.

As you've seen over and over again nothing is new here and nothing was fixed. For Nicholson to forget everything that went on including the fact with two wars on, he advised President Bush that there would be less need for VA staff.